


The Morning After

by champagneandliterature



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Aftermath, James Potter is a Good Friend, M/M, Sirius Black Fucked Up Big Time, The Prank, fight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 04:00:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28593633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/champagneandliterature/pseuds/champagneandliterature
Summary: What happened between Sirius and James the morning after "The Prank".
Relationships: Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 5
Kudos: 49





	The Morning After

**Author's Note:**

> This little drabble/ficlet came to me the other day. It may become part of a bigger story at some point.  
> Thanks to Phoenixofslytherin for being the best beta a girl could ask for!

“How could you?” James screamed at Sirius. “You’re supposed to be his best friend! You’re supposed to be his boyfriend!” James stumbled a bit on the last word, Sirius and Remus had only told James and Peter the details of their relationship three days ago, and that was only because James had walked in on them in bed together in nothing but their boxers. 

Sirius just stared at James as he yelled. He couldn’t find the words to answer him. James was right; it was horrendous what he had done. He should never have told Snape how to get past the Whomping Willow. 

“Are you even listening to me?” James asked as he shook Sirius by the shoulders. “Don’t you care? Of you course, you fucking don’t! That’s you, isn’t it? Sirius fucking Black, only looking out for himself.” James spat the last few words at him. 

Sirius broke out of his trance. “It’s not like that,” he seethed back at James. 

“Then explain to me what it  _ is _ like. Because it sure as bloody hell looks like you betrayed the person you care about the most. Do you know what could have happened? He could have killed Snape if I hadn’t gotten there in time. He could have killed me, or do you not care about me now too?” Sirius opened his mouth to speak, but James cut him off again. “Don’t!” James put up his hand. “I’m not finished yet. If he would have hurt us, infected us, or Merlin forbid, killed either of us, the Aurors would have come and put him down like a rabid beast. No trial. No questions. They would have just killed him. They wouldn’t have even bothered with Azkaban. Can you understand that?” James’ voice had gradually grown louder and angrier as he spoke. 

Sirius finally gained the courage to answer. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I was angry, and it made sense at the time. I just wanted to scare him, that’s all,” he said quietly and looked down at his feet. 

“Scare him? We could have done a million other things to him to scare him, Sirius. We could have pulled an epic prank on him. It’s what we bloody do! Look at me.” James said, and Sirius forced himself to look into James’ eyes. “We don’t betray each other.”

Sirius looked toward the hospital wing door behind James. “How is he?”

“You don’t get to ask that. And I’m not letting you anywhere near him.”

“Come off it, James. I’m going in there and checking on him.”

“Then you’ll have to go through me,” James said as he put his hands on Sirius’ chest to stop him. 

“You’re not kidding?”

“Not even a little bit,” James replied, increasing the pressure of his hands on Sirius. 

“Really, Prongs, get the fuck out of my way.”

“Or what? You’ll hit me? You’ll betray me too? Not on your life. You’ve hurt him enough already.”

Sirius tried to push past James but had forgotten how strong his friend was. James barely budged.

“Don’t, Sirius. I’m not moving. And you know damn well I’m stronger than you.”

“I need to talk to him. I need to…” Sirius said as James cut him off. 

“Your next words better be beg, apologize, grovel…” James said. But before he could finish, Sirius shrugged his shoulders a little and James took that as a sign that Sirius wasn’t taking things to heart. “Just fuck off, Sirius. I’m not kidding. Just go. You’ve done enough,” he said as he pushed Sirius’ chest again.

“Fuck you, James. I need to see him.”

“No way!” James replied, and they started pushing each other in earnest. 

“Come on, James. Stop being a twat.” Sirius said as he pushed James as hard as he could. 

James had finally had enough. He’d been up all night talking with Dumbledore, defending Sirius to him. He’d laid it all on the line and had told Dumbledore that Sirius just had it really hard, that his family had just disowned him, and that they had hurt him not only emotionally, but had physically tortured him too, that Sirius was a good person that bad things happened to, and that he just didn’t know how to control all the anger he had inside sometimes. Dumbledore had considered James’ pleas thoughtfully and then sent him on his way. He had left the headmaster’s office sometime just before dawn and had been standing vigil over Remus in the hospital wing ever since. He was fed up. He pushed Sirius as hard as he could away from him, balled up his right fist, and punched Sirius first in the eye, and then again across his cheek and mouth. 

Sirius didn’t even have a chance to deflect it or to duck out of the way, and if he was honest with himself, he wanted to feel it. He knew he deserved it. He felt the blood dripping from his split lip. He reached up to wipe it away and laughed to himself sardonically.

“You actually hit me.” He said, the shock starting to wear off as he felt the pain more acutely.

“I did. I’ll do it again if you don’t get the fuck out of here. He’s still unconscious. When he wakes up, I’ll ask him if he wants to see you. If he does, and only if he does, I’ll let you in there. But for now, you have to go.” James said, standing his ground. Sirius looked him in the eye. James looked back at him with a mixture of pity and disgust. Sirius couldn’t take it any longer and just nodded, silently admitted defeat, then turned, and walked away. 


End file.
